He was champion in Europe and the Selection of Italy wanted to convene it: the sharp response of a bet of Lionel Scaloni

Santiago Castrostriker of the Bologna and an emerging figure of Argentine football, has been the axis of debate in the last hours to publicly rule out the possibility of representing the Selection of Italy. Current champion of the Italian Coppa with the Rossoblùthe tip chose his words clearly and reaffirmed his belonging to the Argentine National Team in an interview with the Italian newspaper Corriere di Bolognawhere he reviewed his present in series A and delineated his dreams with the albiceleste.

The phrase of the attacker himself, which resonated both in Argentina and in Italy, eliminated any glimpse of doubt when asked about the interest of the Nazionale to quote him: “My blood, my heart, my life is Argentina. If I were closer, I would go free every day. I thank those who proposed to play with Azzurra, but I am proudly Argentine: if they call me now, in ten years or never, I don’t know, but always and in any case Argentina. It is the year of the World Cup and I want to do even better with the Bologna to be summoned”.

The attacker, emerged from the lower divisions of Vélez Sarsfield, was taken into account by Lionel Scaloni for the FIFA date of March on the double South American day against Uruguay and Brazil. On that occasion, he attended as a substitute but did not add minutes against the charrúas. Since then, competition for a place in the official list grew. The subsequent calls for the qualifiers against Chile, Colombia, such as those who come against Venezuela and Ecuador, did not include their name, but the soccer player’s confidence in the celestial and white project did not diminish.

The previous season of Castro was one of the most productive in his short professional career: He scored 10 goals and provided 8 assists in 46 official matches with the Bologna shirt. His contribution was vital in the conquest of the National Cup, with an outstanding goal during the quarterfinals against the Atalanta. On a personal level, the player himself pointed out that meeting as his “heart match”, and recalled the intimate celebration with his family after getting the title, on an unforgettable night for the club and the city.

In dialogue with Corriere di BolognaCastro repeated his gratitude to those who thought of him for Azzurra, while expanding the explanation about his priorities: “I love how people make me feel when I walk through the center or see the shirts with my name: I fill my heart. I do not leave much because I am to be at home and take mate. In Argentina, we started from children. Now I drink five liters per day. ”

Castro’s challenge against competition in the Albiceleste offensive is not less. Julián Álvarez and Lautaro Martínez enjoy priority consideration within the structure headed by Scaloni, which generates that a third place is vacant as the main alternative in the area. In that dispute, Castro appears next to Later Castellanos (Lazio) and the Skinny López (Palmeiras) as the most projection variants. Further back, Gio Simeone (brand new reinforcement of Torino) or Alejo Véliz (returned to Rosario Central), who also became summoned by the DT at some point in his cycle.

As for its most immediate goals, Castro was focused both on having an outstanding season in Italy and maintaining its maximum level of the World Cup. “I hope that this year we can raise a trophy. But personally, I want to be on the payroll for the World Cup and defend the colors of my country”he said.

Reserved and family, the attacker highlighted the importance of his intimate circle and the influence of his surroundings to support the demand for European football. After celebrating the National Cup, he avoided the big parties and chose to return by train to Bologna to share the achievement with his parents, his partner and friends in the private sphere. “For us the South Americans, the family is fundamental. It helps me a lot in the mental,” he added.

Finally, he referred to the competition with Ciro Immobile: “Last year we were two, this year we are three with the pressure of someone like Ciro: it is learned to see him work, personally the internal competition is a positive stimulus to give more. When he arrived, he spoke with me and with Dallinga, he transmitted his experience, listening to him was very valuable: it will be a healthy competition between us. We have tried with two strikers. given the many commitments. ”